Star Trek TV Show May Be An Anthology Series That Spans Decades, Starting From TNG

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2017 is the year CBS will finally seek out new Star Trek life, as the new TV show (run by Bryan Fuller and co-written by Nicholas Meyer) will be released online. After J.J. Abrams's tenure at the helm of the Enterprise left fans divided, expectations for the new series are high, and we're all desperate to know details about the plot and setting.

When the new series was announced, CBS made it pretty clear that the show would boldly go back to the Prime Timeline. (In non-Trekkie terms, that's the original storyline of Trek. Think Picard and The Next Generation.)

The cast of The Next Generation on the Enterprise D

As for the era, most fans assumed that the new show would take place post Voyager, in a bold new future. However, the current gossip is that the first season of the 2017 show will take place in the 70 years between the film The Undiscovered Country and The Next Generation, with subsequent seasons exploring other eras.

Connections To 'The Undiscovered Country'

The rumor comes to us via BirthMoviesDeath, who is reporting that the new show will deal with the post-Khitomer Accords time of political upheaval.

"The show will be set some time after the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, so between the original series and The Next Generation."

The original cast on the set of Star Trek VI

Devin Faraci, who penned the article in question, also heard an interesting plot point about the show's antagonists.

"Consider this a wild rumor: while the Khitomer Conference will have paved the way for Klingons and humans to find peace, Fuller has a plan as to how he can still feature villainous Klingons, something we haven't seen in decades!"

The negotiations that lead to the Khitomer Accords (the alliance between Klingons and the Federation) began in The Undiscovered Country. By the time The Next Generation rolled around, the relationship between the Federation and the Klingon Empire was tense, but amicable.

Worf was the first Klingon to join Starfleet.

Naturally, there's a lot more to be explored from the interim era. This was a turbulent time for both cultures, as Klingons and Federation species were forced to put aside their differences and work together.

As for the veracity of this rumor, Meyer already hinted at a connection to The Undiscovered Country when interviewed by DenOfGeek.

"The one thing I can relate to you is that The Undiscovered Country—according to Bryan [Fuller]—is a real sort of taking off point, or touchstone for the direction of the new show."

Kirk and Spock at the Khitomer Conference.

As exciting as this possibility is, The Next Generation already delved into the relationship between the Federation and the Klingon Empire in great depth. Here's hoping that if the new show is set in this era, it won't retread old stories.

Each Season In A Different Era

But that's not all, Faraci also reported that the new show could explore many other eras of Trek history, in a seasonal anthology format.

Anthology shows, such as American Horror Story and Fargo, set each season in a separate time period, which allows for a bold exploration of how events ripple out over different eras.

Concept for Star Trek Online, set post-Voyager.

Faraci seems certain that the 2017 Star Trek show will follow this vein.

"A trusted source has chimed in and told me that it looks like the show will be a seasonal anthology, which means the first season will be set post-Undiscovered Country. After that the entire Star Trek universe is potentially open. So those of you hoping for a post-Dominion War show... don't give up hope."

With over a hundred years of in-story history to play with, this format is absolutely perfect for Trek. We could see political situations shift and resolve problems over decades, descendants of characters continue a family legacy, and unexpected consequences caused by decisions made years previously take effect.

The Star Trek timeline is vast.

For the first time, we could get a show that truly encompasses the full scope of the Trek fictional universe. It seems that CBS really is setting their phasers to stun us with this awesome new show!

Which eras would you like the new Star Trek show to explore? Let us know in the comments!